Loewen's book is full of material that turns into strong essay prompts almost on its own. Each chapter makes a claim about how textbooks handle a subject, and students can test that claim against evidence. That structure is exactly what an argument essay needs.

The trick is writing prompts that ask for a defensible position instead of a book report. A prompt like "Summarize Loewen's view of Columbus" gets summaries. A prompt like "Evaluate whether your textbook's account of Columbus is complete, using two outside sources" gets thinking.

Prompts also work better when they name the evidence students may use. Give them a short packet or a specific set of sources so nobody spends the weekend on unreliable websites. It levels the field for students who have less support at home.

Below are prompt directions you can adapt for middle school, high school, or a college survey course. Adjust the reading level and length, but keep the demand for a claim and evidence.

Prompt Ideas by Theme

Group prompts by the kind of thinking they require. Some ask students to evaluate a source, some to compare two accounts, and some to take a position on how history should be taught. Rotating through those types across a semester builds range.

• Evaluate how completely your textbook describes Columbus, using at least two outside sources.
• Argue whether Helen Keller's adult political views should appear in a middle school lesson about her.
• Compare a textbook paragraph on the first Thanksgiving with a primary or scholarly source and decide which is more reliable.
• Explain how omitting a group from a chapter changes what readers conclude about the period.
• Take a position on whether textbooks should present unresolved historical debates to students.

Adapting Prompts by Grade Level

Younger students can handle the same ideas with more scaffolding. Provide a claim starter, a two-source packet, and a short word bank, then ask for one solid paragraph. Older students can be asked for a full essay with a counterargument and a source evaluation.

College courses can push further by asking students to work with historiography, comparing how different scholars frame the same event. That connects the book to the way historians actually argue. It also gives professors a cleaner way to distinguish strong papers from summaries.

How to Grade the Responses

Build the rubric around four things: a clear claim, accurate evidence, explanation of how the evidence supports the claim, and handling of opposing views. Weight the explanation heavily, since that is where most students slip. Keep factual accuracy in the mix without letting it drown out reasoning.

When you have a full set of essays, tools like GraideMind can score against your own rubric and generate comments tied to each criterion. You still make the final call, but you begin from a consistent draft instead of a blank margin.

Common Problems to Watch For

Watch for essays that simply agree with Loewen because he is the assigned author. Agreement is fine if the student supports it with evidence beyond the book. Deference without evidence is just another form of memorization.

Also watch for overcorrection, where a student decides everything in a textbook is a lie. Ask them to separate omissions, disputed interpretations, and outright errors. That distinction is one of the most useful things a history student can learn.